--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is the only animal that laughs and…" description: "\"Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.\" — Samuel Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg" --- # Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state… ![“Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.” quote by Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg) > “Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.” [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He observes that humans uniquely laugh and organize governments, distinguishing them from other animals. **In simple terms:** Humans laugh and have legislatures, unlike other animals. Key Takeaway Recognize human uniqueness. Themes anthropology humor politics Mood observational thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - public discourse - political science Key Concepts evolution social structures Questions to Reflect On - What does humor reveal about societies? - How does legislation shape humanity? A Different Perspective Laughter can be a social tool. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ## Related quotes > [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [I cannot subscribe to the omnipotence of a State legislature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-chase/i-cannot-subscribe-to-the-omnipotence-of-a-state-legislature/) [Samuel Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-chase/) > [No state legislature ever built a great university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-state-legislature-ever-built-a-great-university/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Washington would be much better off if it looked more like a state legislature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-szeliga/washington-would-be-much-better-off-if-it-looked-more-like-a-state/) [Kathy Szeliga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-szeliga/) > [Being the only Asian-American in the State Legislature, I've had no choice but to reach across the aisle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/being-the-only-asian-american-in-the-state-legislature-i-ve-had-no/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [All anyone needs to enjoy the state legislature is a strong stomach and a complete insensitivity to the needs of the people. As long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/all-anyone-needs-to-enjoy-the-state-legislature-is-a-strong-stomach/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Gabby Giffords was a mentor of mine in the state Legislature and also in Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-kirkpatrick/gabby-giffords-was-a-mentor-of-mine-in-the-state-legislature-and-also/) [Ann Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-kirkpatrick/) > [No deliberative body is manifestly less qualified to make decisions about public education than our state Legislature. With a few shining exceptions, most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/no-deliberative-body-is-manifestly-less-qualified-to-make-decisions/) [Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/) > [As I've learned in my time in the state legislature, important legislation is always a work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/as-i-ve-learned-in-my-time-in-the-state-legislature-important/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [We're in the hands of the state legislature and God, but at the moment, the state legislature has more to say than God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-in-the-hands-of-the-state-legislature-and-god-but-at-the-moment/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democrats, folks, only have five states where they have the governorship and the state legislature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/democrats-folks-only-have-five-states-where-they-have-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [In the state legislature, I supported Second Amendment rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kander/in-the-state-legislature-i-supported-second-amendment-rights/) [Jason Kander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kander/) > [I was elected six times to represent southern Arizona, in the State Legislature and then in Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-giffords/i-was-elected-six-times-to-represent-southern-arizona-in-the-state/) [Gabrielle Giffords](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-giffords/) > [Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/man-is-the-only-animal-that-can-remain-on-friendly-terms-with-the-2/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“In 1897, Indiana State Legislature House Bill No. 246 attempted to decree that henceforth π should have the value of "3". The Bill was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hunt/in-1897-indiana-state-legislature-house-bill-no-246-attempted-to/) [Andrew Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hunt/) ## More by Samuel Butler > [Is life worth living? This is a question for an embryo not for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/is-life-worth-living-this-is-a-question-for-an-embryo-not-for-a-man/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [I am the enfant terrible of literature and science. If I cannot, and I know I cannot, get the literary and scientific bigwigs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/i-am-the-enfant-terrible-of-literature-and-science-if-i-cannot-and-i/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-you-follow-reason-far-enough-it-always-leads-to-conclusions-that/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/all-animals-except-man-know-that-the-principal-business-of-life-is-to/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-advantage-of-doing-one-s-praising-for-oneself-is-that-one-can-lay/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Opinions have vested interests just as men have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/we-must-judge-men-not-so-much-by-what-they-as-by-what-they-make-us/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If I die prematurely I shall be saved from being bored to death at my own success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-i-die-prematurely-i-shall-be-saved-from-being-bored-to-death-at-my/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism. 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Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-has-a-state-legislature/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-has-a-state-legislature/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/samuel-butler-823_animal_man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-h_2615939.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.” — Samuel Butler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Samuel Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man is the only animal that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-has-a-state-legislature/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-has-a-state-legislature/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```